LIGHT-SCATTERING STUDY OF THE LIQUID-GLASS TRANSITION IN TRIMETHYLHEPTANE - DEPOLARIZED NEAR BACKSCATTERING STUDY

We studied the dynamics of the liquid-glass transition in the molecula r glass-former, trimethylheptane (TMH), using depolarized near backsca ttering spectroscopy (DNBS). We found that in TMH density fluctuations are more important than orientational fluctuations in the depolarized scattered intensity. We carried out a preliminary analysis of the dyn amic susceptibility, chi ''(omega) in the temperature range 180 to 260 K based on the idealized mode coupling theory (MCT). We estimated the exponent parameter, lambda similar or equal to 0.78, and the crossove r temperature T-c similar to 125 R. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.